The Impact of Human capital in higher education on Regional Social Science Strength

The present study explores the impact of higher education R&D human capital on regional social science strength, with the total number of National Social Science Fund Projects (TNSSF) serving as the core measure of regional social science development. The present study utilizes panel data from 2003 to 2022, encompassing 31 Chinese provincial-level regions, to ascertain the efficacy of higher education R&D full-time equivalent personnel (RDPers) as a proxy for higher education R&D human capital input. A high-dimensional fixed-effect model is employed, supplemented by multi-method validation including endogeneity mitigation (via lagged variables) and robustness tests (placebo test, explanatory variable substitution, sample period adjustment). The results of the study indicate that: The first finding of this study indicates that the presence of Rdpers exerts a stable positive driving effect on regional social science strength. This finding is supported by a validated coefficient ranging from 0.002 to 0.004 (p < 0.01). The coefficient thus confirms Rdpers as a core driver of regional social science development. 2) A considerable time moderating effect is in evidence. Since 2007, particularly following the 2012 implementation of the "Innovation-Driven Development Strategy," the interaction coefficient between rdpers and year dummies has increased to 0.001–0.003 (p < 0.05). This is attributable to the enhancement of rdpers' role in promoting social science strength as national policies have evolved. Thirdly, marked regional heterogeneity is observed. Inter-regionally, the driving effect of rdpers follows the order "East (average coefficient=1.076) > West (0.635) > Central (0.505)." Intra-regionally, the East demonstrates stable high efficiency, the West shows polarized performance (e.g., Sichuan's coefficient=2.523 vs. Gansu's 0.542), and the Central region faces "resource mismatch" (insufficient supporting conditions for rdpers). Fourthly, among the control variables, financial support intensity (FINSUP) has a significant negative effect (-187.21, p < 0.05) due to inefficient fund use, while financial development level (FINDEV) exhibits a positive effect (19.68, p < 0.05) in recent years. This study enhances the existing body of research on the drivers of regional social science strength by substantiating the foundational role of human capital and refining the understanding of intraregional disparities. In practice, it provides empirical insights for the optimization of regional social science resource allocation (e.g., regionalized redpers allocation, reform of social science fund management) and the promotion of balanced national social science development.